Floral arranger



J. B. SWETT FLORAL ARRANGER May 18, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 9, 1963 FIG.

INVENTOR. JAMES B. SWETT 'R/mpfd M ATTORNEY J. B. SWETT FLORAL ARRANGER May 18, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1963 FIG. 2

INVENTOR. JAMES B. SWETT Rh/141 ATTORNEY J. B. SWETT FLORAL ARRANGER May 18, 1965 Filed Aug. 9, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet '3 57' II I II I!!! ll I! I! II II IIQHV ivlllvlillli A a. N; Np N; is C.

INVENTOR. JAMES B. SWETT WWM/f/K ATTORNEY J. B. SWETT FLORAL ARRANGEH Y Filed Aug. 9, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG"? FIG. e

, INVENTOR. JAMES B. SWETT xx M ATTORNEY United. States Patent 3,183,624 FLORAL ARRANGER James B. Swett, Barrington, R.I., assignor to Rexall Drug and Chemical Company, Los Angeles, Caiifi, a corporation of Delaware Filed Aug. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 301,078 2 Claims. (Cl. 47-41;.11)

The present invention is directed to a floral arranger having a tray portion, a large vase portion and a small vase portion. The tray and vase portions are usable as individual containers for flowers or the like, or can be releasably joined together in an integral unit comprising the tray and the two vase portions. This invention is also adapted for use with the two vases in combination or either vase in combination with the tray.

In the drawings I have shown the present preferred embodiment of my invention in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side perspective view of the floral arranger;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the floral arranger;

FIGURE 3 is a vertical cross section taken on line 33 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 5 is a perspective of the bottom portion of the large vase, partly in cross section;

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, exploded vertical cross section through the base portions of the vases and trays; and,

FIGURE 7 is an assembled view of the base portions of FIGURE 6.

The floral arranger includes a tray 10 having a substantially flat base 11 and upstanding peripheral side walls 12 integral with the base. The tray has downwardly directed feet 13 integral with the underside of the base 11 and positionable on a rigid supporting surface. An upstanding hollow sleeve 14, preferably circular, is integral with the center of the tray base. The sleeve 14 has an internal continuous radial undercut portion 15 located below the top edge of the sleeve.

The floral arranger also includes a large vase 16 having a base 17 with an integral upstanding peripheral side wall 18 terminating in an upper edge 19 which is flared outwardly between 3l0 from the vertical, and preferably between 5-7" from the vertical. The upper edge receives a grill having an open mesh formed by cross pieces 21 with open portions 22 therebetween. A continuous peripheral rim 23 is integral with the periphery of the mesh and engages the upper edge 9 of the side wall 18. The walls 24 and 25 are slanted to conform to the flare of the edge 19 of the vase. This type of rim is illustratively shown in US. Patent 2,487,400. The center of the grill has an opening 27 which receives the side wall of the small vase to be described hereinafter.

The base 17 of the large vase is raised in its central portion at 28 above the lower edge 29 of the side Wall 18. The center of the underside of the raised portion 28 has an integral hollow sleeve 30 having an external radial undercut portion 31. The sleeve 30 is snapped inside the sleeve 14 to releasably connect together the large vase and tray as shown in FIGURES 3 and 7 when the sleeves are snapped together, a continuous ridge 15a on sleeve 14 enters the undercut 31 on sleeve 30 and a continuous ridge 31a enters the undercut 15 in sleeve 14. A small continuous leg 28a is integral with the underside of the lower edge 29 of side wall 18. This leg projects downwardly below the lower edge 30a of the sleeve 30 (see FIGURE 6). Thus, when the sleeves 14 and 30 are snapped together (see FIGURE 7), the leg 28a engages the top surface of the tray base 11 while the lower sleeve edge 30a does not engage the tray base, thereby causing a slight upward force on the vase base portion 28 which tends to pivot the sleeve 39 outwardly (as viewed in FIGURE 7) to increase the holding pressure between the sleeves 30 and 14 at their abutting face.

The top surface of the raised portion 28 of the large vase has a central upwardly extending integral hollow sleeve 32 identical in construction to the sleeve 14 and has an internal radial undercut portion 33 and a continuous ridge 33a.

Upwardly extending integral pointed members such as spikes 34 are located within the sleeve 32 but do not extend above the top edge 32a of the sleeve. These spikes receive the lower ends of the stems of flowers and the like when they are positioned in the large vase to stabilize the floral arrangement.

A plurality of vertically extending baifles 35 are integrally formed with the top face of the surface 28 and extend over to and are integral with the side wall 18 of the vase. These baflies are partially situated in a depressed portion 36 of the bottom wall of the vase and function to stabilize the lower ends of the stems of flowers and the like placed in the vase.

A smaller diameter vase 37 has a base 38 with an integral upstanding peripheral side wall 39 terminating in an upper edge 40 which is flared outwardly to the same degree as edge 19.

The base 28 is raised above the lower edge 39a of the side wall 39 and the underside of the base has a centrally located integral hollow sleeve 42. The sleeve 42 is identical in construction to the sleeve 38 and has a continuous ridge 43a and an external radial undercut portion 43.

In assembling the vase 37 to the vase 16, the lower portion of vase 37 is inserted through the opening 27 in the grill attached to the vase I6, and the sleeve 42 is snapped inside the sleeve 32 to releasably connect together the two vases as shown in FIGURES 3 and-7. When the sleeves are snapped together, the ridge 43a enters the undercut 33 in sleeve 32 to releasably connect together the two vases as shown in FIGURES 3 and 7. When the sleeves are snapped together, the ridge 43a enters the undercut 33 in sleeve 32 and the ridge 33a enters the undercut 43 in sleeve 42. The lower edge 39a extends downwardly below the lower edge 42a, and therefore, when the sleeves 32 and 42 are snapped together (see FIGURE 7), the edge 39a engages the top surface of raised portion 28 while the lower sleeve edge 42adoes not engage the tray base, thereby causing a slight upward force in the vase base 38 which tends to pivot the sleeve 42 outwardly (as viewed in FIGURE 7) to increase the holding pressure between the sleeves 42 and 32 at their abutting face. The upward force exerted by leg 28a, as previously described, also tends to pivot the sleeve 32 inwardly (as viewed in FIGURE 7) to increase the holding pressure between the sleeves 32 and 42 at their abutting faces.

The upper edge 40 of the vase 37 receives a grill similar in construction to the grill previously described. This grill has an open mesh formed by a plurality of cross members 44 having open spaces 45 therebetween. A continuous peripheral rim is integral with the edge of the mesh and engages the upper edge 40 of the vase 37. This rim is identical to the rim previously described and includes an inside wall 46, an outside wall 47, and a connecting wall 48 in a U-shaped configuration as described in US. Patent No. 2,487,400. The walls 46 and 47 are slanted to conform to the flare of the edge 4%) of vase 37.

The construction of the grills is such that the cross members 21 and 44 are maintained taut when the peripheral rim of each grill is positioned on the respective upper edge of the vases. The flowers or the like are stuck through the open spaces 22 or 45 to achieve a permanent floral arrangement.

q) The construction of the vase bases permits the use of either vase as a separate unit without attachment to each other or to the tray 10. Also, either vase may be attached to the tray, or the vases may be attached together to the used as units for floral arrangements.

The grills, vases and tray of the present invention may be fabricated from various known thermoplastic materials such as polyethylene or polypropylene, and my preferred fabrication material is linear polyethylene for the vases and trays, and low density polyethylene for the grills It is important that the tray and vases have flexibility and rigidity to insure proper holding pressures when the sleeves are snapped together and the connection preferably minimizes rotation of the sleeves relative to each other. It is apparent that the rotation can be avoided by forming the sleeves in a non-circular cross section, but I prefer a circular cross section as shown for various molding reasons and to avoid the necessity of having to orient the units relative to each. other prior to assembly of the sleeves.

The grill must have a resilient, yieldable property to insure a tight grip betweenthe grill rims and the upper edge of the vases; however, the grills must have sufiicient rigidity to avaid an unsightly appearance due to sagging in the central part of the mesh.

While I have described the present preferred embodiment of my invention, it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

I claim: 1. A floral arranger comprising: (a) a tray having a substantially flat base with an upstanding peripheral rim; 7

(b) a large vase having a base with an integral upstanding peripheral side wall terminating in an upper edge;

(c) connecting means on the tray base and large vase base to releasably connect the tray and base together;

(d) a grill releasably connected to the upper edge of the large vase, and having a central opening;

(e) a second vase having a base with an integral upstanding peripheral side wall terminating in an upper edge, the base of the second vase being positioned wholly within the large vase and the side wall of the second vase being positioned in the opening of said grill;

(f) connecting means on the large vase base and the second vase base to releasably connect the vase together;

(g) a second grill releasably connected to the upper edge of the second vase; wherein both of said connecting means include a pair of concentric sleeves fitting inside each other, one of said sleeves being affixed to one of the bases being connected and the other sleeve being aflixed to the other of the bases being connected, the outside sleeve having an undercut portion located below its upper edge and extending radially outward; the inside sleeve having a ridge being constructed to snap into said undercut portion when the sleeves are positioned inside each other to releasably connect the bases together.

2. A floral arranger according to claiml wherein:

(a) said sleeve extends to a spaced position from the base of the adjoining sleeve when the sleeves are releasably connected;

(b) the side wall of the large vase engages the base of the tray when the connecting means therebetween are releasably connected; and,

(c) the side wall of the second vase engages the base of the large'vase when the connecting means therebetween are releasably connected.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS T. GRAHAM CRAVER, Primary Examiner. 

1. A FLORAL ARRANGER COMPRISING: (A) A TARY HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT BASE WITH AN UPSTANDING PERIPHERAL RIM; (B) A LARG VASE HAVING A BASE WITH AN INTEGRAL UPSTANDING PERIPHERAL SIDE WALL TERMINATING IN AN UPPER EDGE; (C) CONNECTING MEANS ON THE TRAY BASE AND LARGE VASE BASE TO RELEASBLY CONNECT THE TRAY AND BASE TOGETHER; (D) A GRILL RELEASABLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF THE LARGE VASE, AND HAVING A CENTRAL OPENING; (E) A SECOND VASE HAVING A BASE WITH AN INTEGRAL UP STANDING PERIPHERAL SIDE WALL TERMINATING IN AN UPPER EDGE, THE BASE OF THE SECOND VASE BEING POSITIONED WHOLLY WITHIN THE LARGE VASE AND THE SIDE WALL OF THE SECOND VASE BEING POSITIONED IN THE OPENING OF SAID GRILL; (F) CONNECTING MEANS ON THE LARGER VASE BASE AND THE SECOND VASE BASE TO RELEASABLYT CONNECT THE BASE TOGETHER; (G) A SECOND GRILL RELEASABLY CONNECTED TO THE UPPER EDGE OF THE SECOND VASE; WHEREIN BOTH OF SAID CONNECTING MEANS INCLUDE A PAIR OF CONCENTRIC SLEEVES FITTING INSIDE EACH OTHER, ONE OF SAID SLEEVES BEING AFFIXED TO ONE OF THE BASES BEING CONNECTED AND THE OTHER SLEEVE BEING AFFIXED TO THE OTHER OF THE BASES BEING CONNECTED, THE OUTSIDE SLEEVE HAVING AN UNDERCUT PORTION LOCATION BELOW ITS UPPER EDGE AND EXTENDING RADIALLY OUTWARD; THE INSIDE SLEEVE HAVING A RIDGE BEING CONSTRUCTED TO SNAP INTO SAID UNDERCUT PORTION WHEN THE SLEEVES ARE POSITIONED INSIDE EACH OTHER TO RELEASABLY CONNECT THE BASES TOGETHER. 